Save a life, donate blood

A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of attending the launch of the National Guidelines on Best Practice in Blood Transfusion on behalf of the president of my service club. Dr Marion Bullock-Ducasse read a message on behalf of Health Minister Rudyard Spencer. The message emphasised the importance of life-saving blood, the significant shortage of blood in Jamaica relative to our needs, and the importance of blood donation.

It reminded me of an incident that occurred several years earlier during my residency training. A young woman was undergoing a Caesarean section. She had a condition known as placenta praevia. In this condition, the placenta, the organ which allows the developing baby to get nutrition and oxygen from the mother, covers the cervix. This condition can cause a great deal of bleeding at surgery.

Life-threatening complication

Unfortunately, this woman suffered from this complication. During the surgery, her blood loss was so severe that she was transfused with more than 20 units of blood. Her life hung in the balance. She was admitted to the intensive-care unit and she was truly at death's door. A few weeks later when I visited her on ward rounds, I could not believe that this was the same woman. She had recovered and she was well.

Postpartum haemorrhage occurs when a woman loses more than the normal amount of blood after the delivery of her baby. It is one of the leading causes of maternal deaths in Jamaica. Risk factors for this condition include having a baby at an older age, excess amniotic fluid in the uterus, being pregnant with more than one foetus, having a large baby, placenta praevia, associated conditions and uterine fibroids. The causes include uterine atony in which the uterus fails to contract adequately following a delivery, and tears in the uterus, its nearby structures and/or the genital area.

Transfusion saving lives

Usually postpartum haemorrhage can be treated. There are a number of medications that can help the uterus to contract, including oxcytocin, methergine and misoprostol. The tears in the genital area need to be repaired swiftly but accurately.

However, in some cases, surgery is required, and a woman may even require a hysterectomy to stop the bleeding. Integral to the treatment of this condition is replacing a woman's blood and the factors which cause her blood to clot if her bleeding has been excessive. In fact, the first successful transfusion of human blood occurred almost 200 years ago in a woman who was dying from postpartum haemorrhage.

The availability of sufficient blood and safe transfusions are lifesaving. If you are a healthy woman, your blood donation may save the life of a mother, a sister or a friend. Please do your part!

Dr Monique Rainford is a consulting obstetrician and gynaecologist; email: yourhealth@gleanerjm.com.